Cahokia’s Ja’Mari Ward (above) could be jumping out of the pit in the 50^th anniversary of this meet - Photo Credit: Michael Newman

 

By Michael Newman

[email protected]

 

As you walk through the doors to enter the Proviso West Fieldhouse for Saturday’s Proviso West Invitational, pay attention to the surroundings in this facility. History could be talking to you if you really pay attention. If you look at the center of the infield, you can see the image of Olympian Greg Foster gliding over the hurdles when he ran for Proviso East. If you look over to the Northeast corner of the field house by the stands, you can see the image of Lake Park’s Jermaine and Jeremy Kline flicking their shot implements off the wall like a little boy would throw a bounce a tennis ball off the wall. Look at the northwest corner of the track where the finish line used to be and you can see images of so many all-state athletes trying to nudge each other out for the race win.

 

I have two lasting images that are still linger in my mind. I can see the Long Jump runway in 2013. Lake Park’s Scott Filip was having a bad day fouling on his first three attempts. On his final attempt, he ripped a 23-6 effort that surpassed jump state champions Zach Gordon and Marcus Jegede to win the event. My other image happened in 1985 in the Varsity 1 Mile Run. York’s Jim White, who was the state cross country champion and won the 800 Meter Run at that spring’s state meet, left the pack after the first 400 Meters and he was on his own. Every time he passed by the finish line I looked at my stopwatch. Every circuit he clicked off a 32 second 200. He finished the race running 4:16 not speeding up or not slowing down but looking so effortless in his stride running so fast.

 

The Proviso West Invitational is an early season test for athletes to get an idea to see where they are at. I was fortunate to run in this meet three times when I was in high school. I finished third in the Frosh/Soph 2 Mile Run in 1978 running a personal best 10:17. I finished ahead of runners that I did not think I could beat. I realized what I could do. Many athletes will find that realization when they finish their event on Saturday.

 

This is the 50^th edition of this meet. So many great athletes have competed in this facility. Another chapter of this meet will be written Saturday afternoon. What was a 12 school meet is now grown to 20 schools. For the first time in the meet’s history, four time 2A champion Cahokia will venture from the St. Louis area to display their talent at Proviso West. They could show at this meet that they are the best school in the state regardless of classification going up against some of the Chicago area’s top teams.

 

This 16 event meet promises to have some spectacular performances. Here is a look at each event. You can find more information about the meet here.

 

(Editor’s Note: DyeStat IL has received the Meet Program for preparation for this meet preview but is not allowed to publish through an agreement with the athletic staff of Proviso West High School).

 

 

Field Events

 

 

Long Jump – The first of the field events start at 9:30 including the Long Jump. I would plan to get to Proviso West before that to see one of the state’s best athletes in this event Ja’Mari Ward (Cahokia HS). In his last completion three weeks ago at the University of Missouri, Ward fouled on his first attempt. His next two jumps were over 24 feet including a nation’s leading 24-7 ¼. Even if his step is off, he is the favorite. If he is on, we could see some monster jumps in this Proviso West pit.

 

One athlete to watch for is Matt Fleming (Simeon Academy, Chicago). The senior made a name for himself when he jumped 23-4 ¾ last spring at the Chicago Public League Championships and then finishing fifth at the state meet. Last Saturday at an open meet at Thornwood, Fleming jumped 23-8 (US#6). We will see if he can duplicate that performance on the Proviso West runway.

 

Louis Brown (Proviso West HS, Hillside) is having a good early season jumping 22-1 in this facility. Dylan Boye (Hinsdale South HS, Darien), Marquis Murray (Cahokia HS), and Kenny Brown (Oak Park-River Forest HS) should battle for the second spot. Keep an eye on Chico Jackson (North HS, Wheaton). He has a personal best of 23-5 ¼ outdoors. He could be a factor in this event.

 

 

Triple Jump – Ja’Mari Ward should be hungry in this event. After he had the nation’s longest performance in the Long Jump at the meet at the University of Missouri, he fouled on his first two attempts in this event. He did jump 45-8 ½ good for third place. You seldom see Ward do that. The Cahokia junior does have the nation’s third best jump in this event (49-9 ½). Could we see a jump over 50 feet at this meet?

 

JaShaun Steward (Proviso West HS, Hillside) is the novice athlete in this event. The junior has only competed twice in this event. Using a 12 step approach 2 weeks ago, he jumped 45-6. He could be going farther in this meet. Anthony McRoberts (Cahokia HS) has been a surprise in this event going over 44 feet. He could also challenge for a top three finish. Kimani Mobley (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) qualified for the 1A state meet last year for Aurora Christian. He has already gone over 43 feet this season. Zach Hogan (North HS, Downers Grove), Cavase Rutherford (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), and Josh Jones (South HS, Downers Grove) could also challenge in this event.

 

 

High Jump – There is so much potential in this event. There could be a possibility that it will take 6-10 or better to win on Saturday. The top five athletes entered have cleared 6-4 or higher. In the first meet of the season at this field house, Chris Wright-Madison (Oak Park-River Forest HS) cleared 6-8 to win the event. All-state last year, Jamante Steward (Proviso West HS, Hillside) cleared 6-6 in that meet. He could have the home pit advantage.

 

Anthony McRoberts (Cahokia HS) has started off the season jumping 6-8 ¼ three weeks ago for the state’s best performance. He is one of the reasons why we could see some great performances in this meet. Seandre Vinson (Cahokia HS) has improved two inches from his last year’s best. Kenny Brown cleared 6-4 last week for a seasonal best. Both Vinson and Brown could be factors in this event.

 

 

Pole Vault – This is a wide open event. Matt Contreras (North HS, Wheaton) has the best clearance (13-6) of all the athletes entered. Steven Chun (Central HS, Hinsdale), Luke Nelson (Oak Park-River Forest HS), David Prigg (York HS, Elmhurst), and Lucas Bennett & Kyle Brown (Lake Park HS, Roselle) will challenge for the win. It could be a surprise if the winner goes past 14 feet. Contreras could be that athlete. He cleared 14-6 during last year’s outdoor season.

 

 

Shot Put – It is possible that we see a new state leading mark in this event by the time the meet is over on Saturday. Adam Shaufelberger (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) has the state’s best mark (55-6) that he achieved last week at small quad meet. He has come on strong in the last 12 months improving nine feet since last indoor season. He did have a 53-5 ½ put at the Chicagoland Summer Throw Series.

 

Lake Park is the dominant team in this event. Three athletes from Lake Park are currently in the top five TFX leaderboard. Dylan Schierich (54-11 ½) and Mike Prestigiacoma (54-8) should challenge Shaufelberger for the event win. Chago Basso has a 54-4 put go for fifth in the state. He will compete on the Frosh / Soph level. Daniall Akins (Cahokia HS), Tom Cwiok (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), and Dan Webber (North HS, Wheaton) could push for a top five finish.

 

Track Events

 

4 x 800 Meter Relay – The top two teams on the TFX Leaderboard are in this event. Cahokia ran 8:10.67 at the Arkansas High School Invitational in January. They veteran group in this event even though none of their quartet is a senior. Chris Stanley, who has the third fastest 800 in Illinois, leads this group. Lyons Township ran 8:16.73 two weeks ago on this track at the Valentine Relays, but they did it the hard way coming from seventh after the first leg. Alex Lima secured the win with a 2:00.5 anchor leg. Watch for this team to be closer to the front earlier in the race and possibly running between 8:05 – 8:10.

 

Lane Tech returns Christian Badillo and Pavlo Hutsalyuk from last year’s quartet that finished sixth at New Balance Outdoors. If the Indians are close to the front going into the final 800 meters with Hutsalyuk anchoring, this Chicago Public League School could be tough to beat. West Suburban Silver rivals York, Oak Park-River Forest, Downers Grove North, and Hinsdale Central could be battling for top three finishes as well. Oak Park ran 8:28 last week on their home 160 meter track. York ran 8:24.4 two weeks ago on this track, but that was with Matt Plowman running a 1:59.5 anchor. Freshman Charlie Kern will replace Plowman in this race and could flirt with a top finish. Hinsdale Central has a tough squad with Sophomore Blake Evertsen leading the way. This team could be the surprise in this race. Watch for Neuqua Valley, Prospect, and Hinsdale South challenging for the front. The field is deep. We could have 8 to 10 teams under 8:22 in this relay.

 

                                                             

55 Meter High Hurdles – This will be an extremely close race with the outcome possibly going to a photo review. It would have been closer if Antonio Shenault (Lake Park HS, Roselle) was in this field. The defending 3A 110 Hurdle champion hurt his ankle and will not compete.  Korrion Session (Cahokia HS) has the fastest 60 Hurdle time in the state (8.28). Eric Walker (St. Rita HS, Chicago) ran 8.30 last weekend at Kentucky. The two athletes should duke it out for the championship.

 

Marquis Murray (Cahokia HS) could also be a threat up front in this race. Steven Connor (North HS, Wheaton), Alex Teague (York HS, Elmhurst), and Tyrique Thomas (St. Rita HS) could be other athletes that will challenge for a top finish.

 

 

55 Meter Dash – We should see a great one on one match-up against two of the short sprinters in the state. Defending Class 3A 200 & 400 Meter Champion Kahmari Montgomery (Central HS, Plainfield) has started out strong this season running a 6.4 hand timed 55 Meter Dash last week at Lyons Township and 6.94 at the end of December in Rockford. Scott Miller (Barrington HS) made his presence known last outdoor season when he finished 3^rd in the 3A state 100 Meter Dash and 4^th in the 3A 200 Meter Dash. Miller has a great start that could give him the edge.

 

Jamari Hare and Kevion Akins (Cahokia HS) will push for the front. Also watch for Louis Brown (Proviso West HS, Hillside), Trevor Edgerton (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Johnathan Stokes (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago), and Michael Hardman (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) to challenge for the front.

 

 

3200 Meter Run – This meet is known for its great individual distance races. The first of them could come here. This is a strong and deep 3200 field. We could have as many as 10 runners at 9:50 or under. Ryan Clevenger (North HS, Downers Grove) ran 9:07 outdoors last year and 4^th at last fall’s state cross country meet. He will be the one runner to watch. Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS) started off his season strong at the beginning of the month running a solo 9:36 on this track. You can expect him to push the pace up front.

 

Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst) is known for the 800 / 1600, but will be running the 3200 and 1 mile in this meet. Plowman ran 9:25 outdoors last year. If the race is tactical, Plowman does have the good leg speed at the end. Michael Widmann (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville), Josh Feldman (Central HS, Hinsdale), Alec Danner (North HS, Downers Grove), Jack LaLonde (South HS, Downers Grove), Jon May (York HS, Elmhurst), and Mike Anderson (Prospect HS, Mt. Prospect) are all runners of being in the top five in this race.

 

The sophomore race could have 1 or 2 runners under 10 minutes. Jake McEneaney (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) has the top seed time.

 

 

400 Meter Dash – Another great match up between two good 400 Meter runners. Zac Espinosa (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) ran 48.18 to finish 4^th in the 3A state meet. He started his season running 1:27 on a 160 Meter track for 600 Meters. Tyran Lyons (Cahokia HS) should be pushing Espinosa. Lyons has already run 50.45 (IL #3) in this event. He will be coming back running the 3200 relay earlier.

 

Dan Lillard (Central HS, Hinsdale) could be a surprise in this event. Last week in a seven team meet on this track, the junior ran 1:26.7 (IL #5). He is an unknown talent that could be up front at the end. Steven Connor will be coming back from the 55 Highs. Watch for him to be a factor in this race along with Chris McGee (Cahokia HS) and Tyler Johnson (St. Rita HS, Chicago).

 

 

600 Meter Run – I hate to be redundant but the phrase “another great match-up” comes into play in this event. Ty Moss (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) steps down to this race. He has a good resume’ having run 1:50.4 last summer in the 800. Moss has the second fastest time in the state in this event (1:25.7). Alex Lima (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) will be coming back from the 3200 relay. He could also push for the win here. He has a lifetime best of 1:24.49 for the 600. The two pushing each other could see a final winning time in the upper 1:23’s.

 

Other runners to watch in this race include Bradley Dowell (North HS, Wheaton), Griffin Gartner (Central HS, Hinsdale), Chris Raymond (Cahokia HS), and Ben Gawthorp (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange).

 

 

4 x 200 Meter Relay – This is perhaps the most exciting event indoors. Every handoff is an adventure where the key is to get to the lead by the first exchange and then hold on from there. Cahokia has the fastest seed time and has the athletes to find their way across the finish line first. Most likely you will see Ja’Mari Ward leading off for them. He taken that role for his team in the past and given his team the lead by the time he exchanges the baton.

 

Proviso West finished second (1:34.13) at their own relay meet two weeks ago and should challenge for the front. Oak Park-River Forest ran 1:34.60 at the beginning of February. This will be their first time on a 200 meter track since that meet. The Huskies also have the talent to chaise for the win. Wheaton North has the reputation of having technically sound handoffs that put them in the mix of every big meet. Lyons Township and Hinsdale South are other teams to keep an eye on.

 

 

800 Meter Run – The positioning of this event towards the meet program takes the chance of athletes that want to attempt the 800 / 1 mile double. The advantage of moving this event back gives the athlete more recovery time for those that are running in the 3200 relay earlier in the meet. This field does not have the big name clout like the mile or the 3200 has.

 

Konrad Eiring (Barrington HS) was invited to this meet and should be the favorite in this event. His personal best is 1:55 from a relay split at the 2013 state meet. Eiring did lead off Barrington at the Proviso West Relays two weeks ago with a 1:59.2 split. Chris Stanley (Cahokia HS) will be coming back from the 3200 relay. The sophomore has run 2:02 three weeks ago. He is capable of going under 2 minutes in this race. Kevin Ma (Whitney Young HS, Chicago) ran 2:02.28 two weeks ago at the University of Chicago. He did run 1:56 last year at the Chicago Public League Meet. Ma will be a big threat in this race.

 

Kyle Bender (Neuqua Valley HS, Naperville) is a novice in this event even though he has run 2:03 outdoors. He could be one of the surprises in this race. Vince Zona (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange), Jack Diamond (North HS, Downers Grove), and Nathan Dale (York HS, Elmhurst) are three other athletes that could find their way into the first five.

 

 

200 Meter Dash – Kahamari Montgomery is the big favorite in this event. The future University of Missouri athlete ran 22.21 at the end of December in Rockford. Even on the tight turns of this Proviso West track, Montgomery is capable of running under 22 seconds in this race.

 

This event is deceptively deep where we could see athletes in earlier sections place in the top five. Marquis Murray and Keveion Akins (Cahokia HS) are ranked within the Illinois first ten and should be in the top five. Johnathon Stokes (North Lawndale Prep, Chicago), Alex Teague (York HS, Elmhurst), Eric Walker (St. Rita HS, Chicago), and Chris Gibson (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) are some of the athletes that will challenge for the first three spots.

 

1 Mile Run – Could we see a surprise in this event? The question will be if this race becomes tactical like most “big meet” races end up. Pavlo Hutsalyuk (Lane Tech HS, Chicago) will be coming back from running the 3200 relay. Known more for his exploits in the 800, Hutsalyuk did run 4:22 indoors last season. If the race is tactical, it could be tough to bet against him.

 

Matt Plowman (York HS, Elmhurst) has that 4:09 mile that he ran last June in Missouri on his resume’. Plowman will be coming back from the 3200. If it comes down to a sit and kick affair, Plowman has the wheels to take the race. He did run 1:25.3 in the 600 Wednesday easing up at the end. If anyone pushes the pace, it could be the sophomore duo of Irwin Loud (Oak Park-River Forest HS) and Blake Evertsen (Central HS, Hinsdale). Both are capable of going under 4:25 in this race. Both are coming back from races earlier in the meet. Connor Madell (Lyons Township HS, LaGrange) ran 4:21 last spring. He will also be a factor. The one runner to keep an eye on is Charlie Kern (York HS, Elmhurst). The freshman finished 8^th last fall at the state cross country meet. He does have deceptive leg speed. He ran 4:21 last fall for the mile. He also on Wednesday ran 1:26.3 in the 600 behind Plowman in a small meet. He could steal this race.

 

Other runners that I would also watch for include Christian Badillo (Lane Tech HS, Chicago), Keduse Worku (Whitney Young HS, Chicago), Zac Christensen (North HS, Downers Grove), and Roman Drabchuk (Hinsdale South HS, Darien).

 

 

4 x 400 Meter Relay – The last event of the meet is a reason to stay for this entire competition. There is so much talent in this race where we could see some lightning fast times. Cahokia blazed a 3:21.77 in January on the banked 200 meter track at University of Arkansas. Their history speaks for themselves. They ran 3:17.66 to win the 2A state championship last spring. This is an all underclassmen squad led by Tyran Lyons and Ja’Mari Ward, they have the talent to dip near or under 3:20.

 

Neuqua Valley is another powerhouse in the field. They ran 3:17.34 to finish 3^rd in the 3A state meet. They return the majority of their squad led by Ty Moss and Zac Espinosa. They have the talent to run with Cahokia. Lyons Township will also be pushing these two teams. They have the tradition of having a strong quartet in this event. This edition, led by Alex Lima and Trevor Edgerton, will push both Cahokia and Neuqua Valley. The Lions did run 3:30.07 to win the Proviso West Relays two weeks ago.

 

Proviso West, Oak Park-River Forest, Whitney Young, York, and Wheaton North are some of the teams to watch in this event.

 

 

Good luck to all athletes competing this weekend!